Geo News UK affected by backlash in Pakistan?

Geo News UK seems to be suffering from the backlash it is facing in Pakistan after it aired reports against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its officers when Hamid Mir was attacked on 19th April.

In official data from UK audience measuring body, BARB, Geo News has witnessed a loss of over 100,000 viewers in the past two weeks. The channel, which usually sits behind ARY News in the UK ratings with a reach of 280,000 average, is now hovering below 200,000 viewers. Surprisingly, at the time of the negative coverage – the channel dropped to 197,000 viewers and 174,000 respectively – lowest in months. The channel is now sitting behind NDTV 24×7 and Aaj Tak.

Here’s the breakdown:

Weekending Sunday 30th March
306,000 viewers

Weekending Sunday 6th April
240,000 viewers

Weekending Sunday 13th April
350,000 viewers

Weekending Sunday 20th April
252,000 viewers

Weekending Sunday 27th April
197,000 viewers

Weekending Sunday 4th May
174,000 viewers

In comparison, rival ARY News has added on viewership with latest data (week ending 4th May) showing the channel with a weekly reach of 391,000 viewers – making it the most watched South Asian news channel in the UK.
It remains to be seen how Geo News will recover and build up on its audience over the coming weeks. The channel’s future hangs in the balance as Pakistan’s Defense Ministry is seeking to cancel its license over the controversy. An official complaint has been lodged by the ministry with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (PEMRA) asking it to take Geo News off air.

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